Horcrux-making spell

Horcrux-making spell
Type	Dark Arts
Effect	Prepared a receptacle to become a Horcrux
Creator	Herpo the Foul (possibly)

"The receptacle is prepared by dark magic to become the receptacle of a fragmented piece of soul and that that piece of soul deliberately detached from the Master Soul to act as a future safeguard or anchor to life and to safeguard against death."

— How Hocruxes are created

This Dark spell (incantation unknown) was used to prepare a receptacle for the placing of a fragmented piece of soul within it, thereby allowing the target to become a Horcrux, tethering the caster to the mortal world, preventing death.

History

"There is a spell, I do not know!"

— Horace Slughorn regarding this Dark spell

The first known use of this spell was in Ancient Greece by Herpo the Foul, an infamous Dark wizard who used it after committing murder in order to create the first known Horcrux. Since Herpo was the first Horcrux-maker, it was certainly possible he invented the spell.

Millennia later, Horace Slughorn told Tom Riddle that he considered this concept unspeakable, claiming not to know what the spell was, nor did he wish to find out.

Tom Riddle, then known as Lord Voldemort, used this spell to create six Horcruxes, splitting his soul into seven. He most likely got this spell from Secrets of the Darkest Art before it was removed from the Hogwarts Library by Albus Dumbledore.

Behind the scenes

• Little, if anything, is known of this spell; it was possible, however, that it would be explained either in the Encyclopaedia of Potterworld, or (since the former seems to have been cancelled), on Pottermore.
  • The likelihood of the incantation to this spell being revealed was very low, as Rowling said that she could not "possibly tell [us]. Some things were better left unsaid." in an interview, on 30 July 2007.

Appearances

• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (First mentioned)
• Pottermore (Mentioned only)
• Harry Potter (website) (Mentioned only)
• PotterCast (Mentioned only)